In an unprecedented move, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced a nationwide reduction in flights, a direct consequence of the prolonged government shutdown. This sweeping measure is scheduled to commence on Friday morning, marking a significant disruption in air travel across the United States.
The FAA’s directive targets 40 airports spread across over two dozen states, affecting major hubs such as Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, and Charlotte, North Carolina. Notably, metropolitan regions including New York, Houston, Chicago, and Washington will see multiple airports feeling the impact, with potential ripple effects reaching smaller airports as well.
Airlines have been quick to react to this development, hastily adjusting their schedules and initiating flight cancellations as early as Thursday. This has left travelers with upcoming plans anxiously awaiting confirmation on whether their flights will proceed as intended over the weekend and in the days to follow.
According to FlightAware, over 810 flights have already been canceled nationwide. Delta Air Lines has announced plans to cancel approximately 170 flights on Friday alone, while American Airlines intends to cut 220 flights daily through Monday.
The FAA outlined that the flight reductions will begin at 4% and will gradually increase to 10% by November 14. These reductions are set to occur between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., affecting all commercial airlines operating during these hours.
The FAA said the reductions would start at 4% and ramp up to 10% by Nov. 14. They are to be in effect between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. and impact all commercial airlines.
The agency said the cutbacks are necessary to relieve pressure on air traffic controllers who have been working without pay for more than a month. Many are pulling six-day work weeks with mandatory overtime, and increasing numbers of them have begun calling out as the financial strain and exhaustion mount.
“You can’t expect people to go in to work when they’re not getting a paycheck,” said Kelly Matthews of Flat Rock, Michigan, a frequent business traveler who has canceled most of her upcoming trips. “I mean it’s not a matter of them not wanting to do the job — but you can’t afford to pay for gas, your day care and everything else.”
The order comes as the Trump administration is ramping up pressure on Democrats in Congress to end the shutdown.
Airlines said they would try to minimize impact on customers. Some planned to focus on slashing routes to and from small and medium-size cities.
Carriers are required to refund customers whose flights are canceled but not to cover secondary costs such as food and hotel accommodations unless a delay or cancellation results from a contributing factor that is within the control of the airlines, according to the Department of Transportation.
Industry analyst Henry Harteveldt warned that the reductions will “have a noticeable impact across the U.S. air transportation system.”
The cuts could also slow package service as two airports on the list are major distribution centers for delivery companies: FedEx in Memphis, Tennessee, and UPS in Louisville, Kentucky, the site of this week’s deadly cargo plane crash.
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Associated Press journalists Hallie Golden in Seattle, Safiyah Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama, and Wyatte Grantham-Philips in New York contributed.
